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You are here: Home / Archives for recipes

Recipes for Strawberry Season!

Strawberry season is sweet but short! Don’t sleep on these local treats while they are in season.

The Co-op offers fresh organic strawberries from a variety of local farms.

Try a few new recipes featuring strawberries this summer.

The Recipes

peach and strawberry bruschetta served on a wooden cutting board

Peach and Strawberry Bruschetta

Simple and elegant, this mouthwatering appetizer is a cinch to make.

Get the recipe!

Balsamic-Glazed Strawberries

Tangy sweet balsamic sauce complements fresh strawberries atop ice cream, yogurt, or pound cake for a spectacular dessert.

Get the recipe!

bowl of balsamic glazed strawberries served with yogurt
fresh berry cream tartlets

Fresh Berry Cream Tartlets

These cute little tarts are perfect portions for dessert, and the berries on top glisten like little gems. A pecan and maple crust is like a crunchy cookie, and a perfect foil for the rich crème fraîche and juicy berries.

Get the recipe!

Mixed Berry Crumble

Serve this warm with a scoop of ice cream and you can't miss. Vary the flavors of this classic crumble by changing the balance of berries. Substitute a gluten-free flour blend if you prefer.

Get the recipe!

mixed berry crumbles served in individual ramekins

HOT OFF THE PRESS| RECIPES berry| recipes| strawberries| summer

Raspberries, blueberries, and cherries, oh my!

raspberries scattered on a white background with a sprig from a raspberry bush

When strawberry season winds down, raspberries, blueberries, and cherries take center stage!

To complement our popular recipe collection for strawberries, we offer this collection of recipes for your continued berry enjoyment.

the word local spelled out using blueberries and raspberries

As the summer harvest progresses, check out our selection of local berries for quality fruits picked ripe at the farm and delivered fresh to our stores.

Kicking off the season are blueberries from Cooperativa Tierra y Libertad, a Whatcom County farmworker cooperative growing transitional berries. Transitional means the cooperative is using 100% organic farming practices during the three-year process of gaining organic certification.

informational sign about cooperativa tierra y libertad local farmworker cooperative and their local organic blueberries and raspberries

The Recipes

bowl with scoops of homemade cherry chocolate chunk ice cream with a few whole cherries on the side

Cherry Chocolate Chunk Ice Cream

By Alissa Segersten

No better time to make this delicious dairy-free ice cream. This ice cream is rich with the subtle flavor of coconut milk!

Get the recipe.

Natural Vegan Blueberry Jam

By Dreena Burton

This natural vegan blueberry jam is sweetened with only berries and dates. The dates also help thicken the jam, along with ground chia seeds. Try making it with your favorite summer berries!

Get the recipe.

photo of a toasted bagel with vegan blueberry jam
photo of a vegan chocolate raspberry tart

Chocolate Raspberry Tart

By Alissa Segersten

This decadent vegan tart can be made with any berry, but I especially like the combination of tart raspberries and sweet chocolate.

Get the recipe.

Fresh Blueberry Squares

By Dreena Burton

These delicious fresh blueberry bars are just sweet enough, and not overly rich. You can enjoy a square (or 2 or 3!) and not feel sickly!

Get the recipe.

photo of fresh blueberry squares vegan homemade
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HOT OFF THE PRESS| RECIPES blueberry| cherry| healthy| local| raspberry| recipes| strawberry| vegan

Local Vendor Profile: Shrub Farm

by Laura Steiger, Outreach Team

February 2020

Photos courtesy Shrub Farm and Apple State Vinegar

tomo and josh kramer holding two bottle of their Shrub Farm elixers

Locally made in Bellingham by self-described foodies, Josh and Tomo Kramer, Shrub Farm is yet another brilliant new business crafting unique top-notch products that are not only delicious, but also good for our health and our planet.

Tomo earned her three year certificate in Japan as a nationally certified chef.  She has an alcohol allergy and shrub is the best drink option for her free-spirited lifestyle. Josh studied food preservation and manufacturing process control at The University of California, Davis.  

The Shrub Farm Story

Josh and Tomo Kramer discovered shrub on a visit to Japan when Tomo’s mother pulled a jar of purple liquid from her pantry, added water, and served what Josh described as “literally the most refreshing thing I’ve ever had.” It was a mixture of white vinegar and blueberries from Tomo’s mother’s yard.

literally the most refreshing thing I’ve ever had

Upon returning to their home in Maui, they experimented with recreating the refreshing beverage they enjoyed in Japan using locally available tropical fruits like guava, pineapple, and liliko’i (aka passion fruit). The results were fabulous. A bit like kombucha, but more crisp and clean.

Josh and Tomo opened Maui Shrub Farm and started selling at the Maui Farmers Market.

After their son was born, the couple moved to Bellingham, where Josh grew up, to be near family and to expand their business on the mainland. Initially named Cascade Shrub Farm, the business name has been simplified to Shrub Farm to avoid confusion between the Maui and Cascade brands.

Supporting Local Farmers

Shrub Farm continues to source ingredients from both Hawaii and the Pacific Northwest. “Our goal is to support local farmers. We directly source as much as we can from people we know and from farmers market vendors. Even the fruit we get from Maui, like the Hawaiian chili and hibiscus, we get directly from farmers we know,” said Josh.

Shrub Farm products are unique in that they are raw. Most other brands go through a heating process to add sugar and juice before bottling. Shrub Farm uses a cold-steeping process. Whole organic fruits soak in vinegar for one week before the mixture is strained and every living bacteria-rich drop of vinegar is squeezed from the fruit. The only nonorganic fruit used by Shrub Farm is Maui Gold pineapples.

The result is a highly potent fruit-flavored raw vinegar.

The cold steeping process pulls vitamins and enzymes from the fruit and preserves the essence of the living vinegar culture called the “mother,” which at 6% acidity is 20% stronger than most store brands.

The Versatile Uses of Shrub

Shrub is a versatile addition to the home pantry. Josh estimates that less than half of his customers use Shrub Farm as a cocktail mixer. The rest drink for it for the health benefits of the mother. Because you only need one-half ounce of shrub for an eight-ounce drink, it’s an economical way to get a healthful boost. And, shrub is great for kids too.

less than half of his customers use Shrub Farm as a cocktail mixer

I purchased a bottle of the Ginger & Hawaiian Chili before Christmas and used it to make a few cocktails, many mocktails, and used it in a salmon marinade mixed with roasted sesame oil and coconut aminos (it was delicious!). I used the remainder of the bottle to mix with sparkling water for a nightly after-dinner refresher and I am pleasantly hooked.

Josh’s favorite is Hibiscus & Orange. Mixed with still or sparking water (10:1 dilution), it is his go-to drink whenever he’s thirsty or needs an energy boost. He also uses it in this delicious Harvest Hibiscus Salad recipe.

Ginger & Hawaiian Chili Shrub apple cider vinegar at 2020 Good Food Awards

The No. 1 selling flavor, Ginger & Hawaiian Chili, won a 2020 Good Food Award in the elixir category competing against elixers from across the U.S. In our eyes, Shrub Farm was already a winner.

Six Fluffy Shrub Pancakes piled high on a green ceramic plate and topped with bananas

Shrub has uses beyond cocktails and mocktails. On the Shrub Farm website you can find a variety of delicious recipes from tangy salad dressings to these pillowy Fluffy Shrub Pancakes.

Introducing Apple State Vinegar

As if Josh and Tomo weren’t busy enough, the couple launched a second brand in 2019: Apple State Vinegar.

The vinegar was already the base for all of their Shrub Farm products and people loved the flavor so much they decided to bottle it for sale separately. It is a raw apple cider vinegar made from 100% organic Washington state apples.

a bottle of apple state vinegar with whole apples on either side

We created the brand with the 6% mission at the core.

Josh said he can’t bottle the vinegar fast enough to keep up with demand. “We had access to this great Washington state organic vinegar and now everyone can enjoy it, not just as shrub but however they like. We created the brand with the 6% mission at the core.”

Six percent of Apple State Vinegar profits are donated to nonprofit organizations dedicated to protecting ocean health. Josh and Tomo were inspired to give back by their years living in coastal communities and witnessing the impact people have had on Puget Sound and the devastating decline of resident orca populations.

Try a New Recipe

If you haven’t tried Shrub Farm or Apple State Vinegar, I hope you’ll give it a try soon and toast to your good health!

Choose from six unique Shrub Farm flavors—Ginger & Hawaiian Chili • Blueberry & Lemon • Pineapple & Sage • Hibiscus & Orange • Raspberry & Citrus • Ginger & Apple

Need some recipe ideas? Below are a few of Josh and Tomo's favorite recipes. You can find even more recipes online at Apple State Vinegar and Shrub Farm.

a bottle of apple state vinegar in the back ground of a white ceramic mug holding some maple-ginger tummy tonic

Maple-Ginger Tummy Tonic

two cocktails and the ingredients for cascadia daily cocktail including Shrub Farm ginger & apple shrub sliced limes, fresh ginger, and ice

Cascadia Daily Cocktail

harvest hibiscus salad made with roasted delicata squash, goat cheese, pecans and kale made with Shrub Farm Hibiscus & Orange Shrub

Harvest Hibiscus Salad

Learn More

Visit the Shrub Farm website or follow them on Instagram or Facebook. Visit the Apple State Vinegar website or follow them on Instagram or Facebook.

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GROCERY| SALES cocktails| mocktails| recipes| shrub

Three Tried-and-True Gluten-free, Vegan Desserts

by Selva Wohlgemuth, Co-op News contributor

November 2018
Selva Wohlgemuth, meal planning instructor

Selva Wohlgemuth, Registered Dietitian and Nutritionist

Gluten-free? Vegan? Low FODMAP? Desserts are always tricky when accommodating many different dietary restrictions. Try these three tried-and-true gluten-free, vegan desserts!

You want dessert to be wholesome and full of good ingredients, yet you also want to make sure it tastes delicious and decadent. It can be so frustrating when you plan ahead, purchase, and make a dessert and it is a complete flop.

These days it can be very hard to sift through the millions of recipes online trying to decide which one not only looks good but will also taste good and not cost you an arm and a leg.

Don’t despair! I have you covered.

I have three tried-and-true recipes. All very simple and delicious.

The two crisp recipes are very similar but use different fruit and nuts. The small amounts of sugar called for in the crisps can be replaced with coconut sugar if desired. The white rice flour and arrowroot powder can be purchased in small amounts in the bulk section, so you do not need to buy a huge bag just for a single tablespoon. I personally prefer to use butter or ghee in the crisps, but if you are vegan, coconut oil
is just as delicious.

For the chocolate mousse, find the darkest cocoa powder you can, because this is the key to mask the avocado flavor and boost the decadence factor of the recipe. I’ve had good results with Hershey’s Special Dark Cocoa Powder.

The Recipes

All three recipes are gluten-free and vegan. Serve a dessert that everyone around the table can enjoy!

harvest_apple_crisp

Harvest Apple Crisp

When you are too busy to make a pie crust, or simply don’t have the ingredients on hand, this simple crisp recipe will hit the spot. Plus, it’s lower in calories and sugar than a traditional apple pie or crisp. Step into fall with this aromatic and tasty delight!

berry cobbler

Low FODMAP Double Berry Pecan Crisp

Staying away from fall favorites such as apples and pears is a must if you are following a Low FODMAP diet. If you still have frozen bags of summer’s harvest in your freezer then this recipe is for you. You can use whatever mixture of cherries, blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries you have on hand.

avocado mousse

Decadent Chocolate Avocado Mousse

For all you chocolate lovers out there, this one is for you. This decadent treat doesn’t require hours of labor to make and is full of healthy fats and fiber that will leave you feeling full and satisfied. Make sure to choose avocados that are perfectly ripe but just slightly give to the touch. If they are too ripe, the avocado flavor is more prominent.

Ask the Nutritionist

Have questions? Send them to contact@happybellynutritionist.com. Selva Wohlgemuth is a registered dietitian nutritionist. Learn more about her approach to general health and well-being at her Happy Belly Nutrition website, and see her recipes and other kitchen tips at Poppies and Papayas.

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HEALTH & BEAUTY| RECIPES| SALES apple crisp| avocado| berry crisp| chocolate| gluten free| low fodmap| mousse| recipes| vegan

Happy Belly Porridge

by Selva Wohlgemuth, Registered Dietitian and Nutritionist

happy belly porridge

This recipe highlights many foods that can help keep your gut health in check while taking antibiotics or any day.  

This recipe includes both yogurt and kefir to provide multiple strains of beneficial bacteria for good gut health. Plus, it contains plenty of soluble fiber from oats, chia, and flaxseeds. Soluble fiber is not only soothing to the GI tract, but also acts as a vehicle to transport the beneficial bacteria to the colon. Furthermore, the soluble fiber acts as a food source for the good gut bacteria. It’s a win-win!

Happy Belly Porridge

INGREDIENTS
  • 1/4 cup dry rolled oats, gluten-free
  • 1½ tablespoons of chia/flaxseed mixture (½ and ½)
  • ½ teaspoon ground cardamom or cinnamon (or both)
  • pinch of sea salt
  • 1 cup water
  • ¼ cup nut milk (or use water)
  • ¼ cup plain full-fat Nancy’s yogurt
  • ¼ cup plain full-fat kefir
  • ½ cup blueberries
  • drizzle of organic pure maple syrup (optional)
METHOD
  1. If you have a clean small coffee bean grinder, quickly pulse the chia/flaxseed mixture 2–3 times to coarsely chop the seeds. This is optional, but it helps you absorb more of the fatty acids within the flaxseeds.
  2. In a small saucepan, add oats, chia/flaxseed mixture, cardamom, and a pinch of sea salt. Add water and cook over medium, stirring often. Allow the mixture to become gelatinous, as the chia seeds soak up the water. Add nut milk and cook to desired consistency. Stir to keep mixture from sticking to the bottom. Remove from heat when done.
  3. Place the mixture into a bowl and top with yogurt and kefir. Quickly heat blueberries in a glass bowl in the microwave for 30 seconds to 1 minute and pour on top. Drizzle with maple syrup if desired.

Health and Antibiotic Use

Read Selva's Ask the Nutritionist column from the March 2018 issue of the Co-op News to learn about her tips to help prevent side effects associated with antibiotic use.

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RECIPES| SALES antibiotic| dear nutritionist| gut health| kefir| menu| porridge| recipes| vegetarian| yogurt

Holiday Recipes: Sugar & Spice

Recipes by Robin Asbell

chocolate peanut brittle

Spice up your holiday spread with much-loved classic treats like this Chocolate Glazed Nut Brittle.

By Robin Asbell and posted by permission from welcometothetable.coop. Find recipes and articles about your food and where it comes from at welcometothetable.coop.

Chocolate Glazed Nut Brittle

A recipe of decadent brittle makes wonderful gifts, a little goes a long way! Portion and package festively for teachers, coworkers, and friends.

Makes 2 1⁄2 pounds (approx. 27 servings).
Prep time: 1 hour;
20 minutes active

INGREDIENTS
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1⁄2 cup water
  • 1 stick unsalted butter
  • 1⁄3 cup light corn syrup
  • 1⁄2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 1⁄2 cups roasted salted peanuts or cashews plus
    an optional 1⁄4 cup, finely chopped
  • 8 ounces dark chocolate, melted
METHOD
  1. Line a large sheet pan with a rim with parchment paper.
  2. In a 2-quart saucepan, combine the sugar, water, butter and corn syrup and bring to a boil to create caramel. Cook over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until the caramel is light brown and registers 300°F on a candy thermometer, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and carefully stir in the baking soda. The mixture will bubble. Stir in the nuts, then immediately scrape the brittle onto the prepared baking sheet. Using the back of a large spoon (oil it lightly if it sticks), spread the brittle into a thin, even layer. Let cool completely, about 30 minutes.
  3. Spread melted chocolate over the brittle, sprinkle with the finely chopped nuts, if using, then chill. Break the brittle into large shards. Store in airtight containers for up to two weeks.

Gingerbread Cookies

Makes 48 3-inch cookies.
Prep time: 1 hour

INGREDIENTS
  • 1 1⁄2 cups unbleached flour
  • 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
  • 1⁄2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1⁄4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1⁄4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1⁄4 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
  • 1⁄4 cup light brown sugar
  • 1⁄2 cup molasses
  • 1 large egg
shortbread snowflake cookies

Royal Icing

  • 2 cups powdered sugar, approximately
  • 1 large pasteurized egg white or 2 1⁄2 tablespoons meringue powder
  • 1⁄4 teaspoon lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons water, approximately
METHOD
  1. In a large bowl, mix together flours, baking soda, baking powder, salt and spices. Using a stand mixer or an electric beater, cream butter until soft, then add brown sugar and beat until well-mixed. Add molasses and beat, scrape down and add egg, beat again until combined. Stir in the flour mixture. Divide dough into four rectangular pieces, place between sheets of parchment and roll out 1/4" thick. Stack sheets of dough on a baking pan and chill for 3 hours.
  2. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Lay sheets of dough on counter, remove top layer of parchment and use a cookie cutter to cut into shapes. Using a thin spatula, transfer cookies to parchment-lined baking sheets. Repeat process with scraps.
  3. Bake 12 minutes, switching the pans between oven racks halfway through. When cookies are puffed and look dry, remove and cool on the pan for five minutes, then move cookies to a cooling rack.
  4. Using a stand mixer or electric beater, mix powdered sugar with egg white or meringue powder. Mix in lemon juice and water, a tablespoon at a time, to reach desired consistency. Transfer icing to a piping bag with a small round tip and use to draw outlines on the cookies.

Poppy Seed Rugelach

Rugelach, a traditional Jewish treat, can also be filled with chocolate chips, walnuts, arzipan, or fruit preserves.

Makes 24 cookies.
Prep time: 6 hours (includes chilling);
1 hour active

plate of rugelach
INGREDIENTS
  • 1 1⁄2 sticks butter, room temperature
  • 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1⁄2 cup sugar
  • 1⁄4 teaspoon salt
  • 1⁄2 cup poppy seeds
  • 1⁄4 cup milk
  • 3 tablespoons honey
  • 2 tablespoons raisins, chopped
  • 1⁄2 teaspoon lemon zest
METHOD
  1. Cream butter and cream cheese together until fluffy. Add flour, sugar, salt and beat to combine. Form 2 disks, wrap in plastic wrap; chill 4 hours.
  2. In a coffee grinder, grind poppy seeds coarsely then heat in a pan with milk, honey, raisins, and zest. Stir over medium-low until thickened, approx. 20 minutes, then cool completely.
  3. Preheat oven to 325ºF and line two sheet pans with parchment. Roll out dough to make two 12" rounds about 1⁄8" thick, then spread each with half the filling. Use a pizza cutter to cut each round in 12 wedges. Roll up each piece from the wide end, bend in tips to make a crescent. Place on pan, chill 1 hour.
  4. Bake for 40 minutes, switching the pans between oven racks halfway through.
  5. When done, cool cookies on pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to cooling racks.
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RECIPES| SALES chocolate| cookies| gingerbread| holiday| nut brittle| recipes| rugelach

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bowl of vegan thai vegetable stew with visible chucks of tofu, yams, red peppers, and herbs and veggies

Thai Vegetable Stew

This beautifully flavored vegan stew is brimming with vegetables and tofu in a creamy peanut-coconut sauce that is not too rich or heavy. Sure to become a favorite! Vegan and gluten-free.

kimchi stew

Welcome to Kimchi Nirvana: Kimchi Stew

The recipe comes together particularly easily using leftover shredded chicken, or leave out the meat (but not the flavorful marinade ingredients) for a vegetarian main dish.

grass-fed burger

Smoky & Spicy Burger Recipe

Try this simple yet delicious recipe on burger night. Pasture-raised beef seems to cook up tender and juicy, with a more neutral flavor. I love that the subtle spices of this burger seasoning come through.

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